Never "outed" predator priest is sued for 1st time

Predator priest is sued for first time ever

He’s never been “outed” before as pedophile

Crimes happened at northwest MO seminary

It educates future clerics for dioceses in KC & elsewhere

SNAP to KC bishop: “Try something different - do REAL outreach”

Group also urges Finn to take action to get a bishop from KC defrocked

WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims will announce a new civil child sex abuse and cover-up lawsuit. It involves a then-Catholic priest who molested a boy near St. Joseph MO and who worked recently at a Nevada church.

Then, the victims will try to hand-deliver a letter to top KC church officials urging them to
-- write the Pope and beg him to defrock a KC native who’s now a bishop and faces at least five allegations of molesting kids here, and
-- “try a new approach” by aggressively seeking out others hurt by either cleric (the priest or the bishop) and prodding them to call police and prosecutors.

The victims will also urge anyone who saw, suspected or suffered child sexual abuse – by these two predators or other clerics - to call law enforcement, not church staff.

WHERE:
Outside the KC chancery (diocesan headquarters) at 20 West Ninth Street (at Baltimore), Kansas City, MO

WHEN:
Thursday, June 23 at 1:30 pm

WHO:
Two-three concerned KC Catholics and two-three child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest (SNAPnetwork.org), including a St. Louis man who is the organization's executive director

WHY:
Today a new clergy sex abuse and cover-up lawsuit is being filed, charging that a priest, Fr. Bede J. Parry, sexually abused a boy at a summer choir camp at Conception Abbey near St. Joseph MO. The Abbey, the defendant in the suit, trains seminarians for the Kansas City Catholic diocese, and other dioceses across the country.

For eleven years (2000-2011) and until just a few months ago, Parry (who has since become an Episcopalian cleric) worked at All Saints Episcopal Church in Las Vegas. He also worked at two other Las Vegas churches and two more in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Parry also spent time at a controversial Minnesota abbey, St. John’s in Collegeville, where at least 18 sex offender clerics lived and worked.

According to the suit, the crimes happened in 1987. The suit maintains that in 2000, “psychological testing revealed that Parry was a sexual abuser who had the proclivity to reoffend with minors.” The test results “were provided to the Abbey” and other church officials, according to the suit. Still, Parry ended up at another church position. He’s still a priest now and still walks free.

SNAP wants Bishop Robert Finn to “stop posturing and take effective steps, not symbolic gestures, to protect others.” Specifically, SNAP wants Finn to use announcements in pulpits, parish bulletins and the diocesan website/newspaper to seek out victims of two clerics – Parry and Bishop Joseph Hart, a KC native priest who retires as Wyoming’s bishop. Hart faces at least six credible child sex abuse accusations, but (like Parry) lives among unsuspecting families and experiences no consequenes for his wrong-doing. At least five civil lawsuits against Hart have been settled. He denies wrong-doing.

Parry was ordained a Catholic priest in 1983 and joined the Episcopalian priesthood in 2004. The victim, who is filing as “John Doe,” now lives in Missouri. He is represented by St. Paul MN attorneys Pat Noaker (612 817 8665 cell, 651 227 9990 office) and Jeff Anderson (612 817 8665 cell, 651 227 9990 office). The firm is also handling one case against Fr. Shawn Ratigan.

The detailed, five page suit, which seeks unspecified damages, says that since church officials “fraudulently concealed” Perry’s crimes, the normally applicable statute of limitations does not apply. It is filed in Nodaway County Circuit Court. Copies of the formal complaint will be available at the event (and/or at AndersonAdvocates.com). The victim will NOT be present.

CONTACT:
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Executive Director (314) 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP President and Founder (312) 399 4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com
Barb Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP Outreach Director (314) 503 0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com